Government of Daolin
The governance of the [[Daolin|'Empire of Daolin']] is the responsibility of the Imperial Courts in the name of his Imperial Majesty the Huayu Emperor, however the dependencies of the throne who collectively form the Daolese Realm falls outside the jurisdiction of the Imperial Courts. Administrative Divisions The Daolese Realm is divided into the Empire of Daolin, the Kingdom of Three Suns, the Emperor Honshe Region of Prosperity, Lianguo Mountain, the Kingdom of Yusole, the Autonomous Principality of Qunik, and the Throne's Own Military Territories. The Empire of Daolin is then further subdivided into different united constituent domains which have regional courts and are assigned a governor by the throne of Daolin. Poetic convention maintains that there are 100,000 of such domains, termed "lands" by literary convention, however in reality the number is closer to 500. The largest of these is the Imperial Hai, in which the Haikei, the imperial capital, is located, which has no governor and which is ruled directly by the emperor. Several of these states are granted semi-autonomous principality status and are ruled by a Prince or Grand Lord, who have seats in the Court of the Executive and thus more sway in imperial decision-making. These include the principalities of Jinsi, Zhigan, Shidong, Laofeng, and Tsung. System Regional Courts Within the domains of the empire, lords are granted control of land (and its serfs) in return for service to the governor (or Prince or Grand Lord in the case of principalities). Lords then further subdivide their land between vassal lords, who then assign smaller land parcels to the peasantry in return for service on the vassal lord's personal estate and providing the vassal lord with a share of the peasants' harvest. Typically the vassal lord's share consists of crops such as tea, citrus, cotton and sugarcane, which he sells for profit, whereas the peasant's share is typically rice or wheat for subsistence. In the Court of the Domain, the lowest-level local court, the Governor presides and is given veto power, Lords occupy half of the seats (and are elected by their peers in a complicated process involving proportional representation) and Vassal Lords the other half (elected in a similar process). Responsibilities of the Court of the Domain include local taxation, law enforcement, infrastructure projects, and education within the domain. In the north and west of Daolin, lordship and governorship are typically hereditary, whereas in the rest of the empire the positions are typically appointed based in part on performance in bureaucratic examinations and by public achievements, with heavy influence from bribery. Role of the Sovereign Company of the Dragon Where nobility was temporarily abolished under the Gonshu Dynasty, the Sovereign Company of the Dragon took over their role in land management after the Gonshu fell. These areas, mostly in the area surrounding the city of Daobi, collectively form the Company Domain, where the person of the governor is replaced by the Board of Directors of the Sovereign Company. Lords and Vassal Lords either come from within the company or are appointed as local managers of the company. Congress of Domains The Congress of Domains is an advisory court to the emperor and the Central Courts made up of governors of domains and their representatives. Central Courts The Central Courts are all based in the city of the Haikei and form the central Daolese Imperial Court. Members are appointed by the emperor or his representatives based on distinguished service in the regional courts or by recommendation of the Imperial Univiersities. There is no single central court where members of these courts convene but they are guided by decisions made by the Congress of Domains but ultimately their decisions are subject to overruling by the Executive Court. The Central Courts propose and enforce laws and edicts. Central Courts include: * Court of Commerce and Trade * Court of Culture, Tradition and Faith * Court of Justice * Court of Food and Self-Sufficiency * Court of Modernisation and Technology * Court of the Bureaucracy and Internal Management Executive Court The Executive Court is the highest-level court, responsible for foreign relations, defence, and drafting laws. The Executive Court is made up of three organs; the Central Secretariat, the Board of War, and the Imperial Privy Council. The Central Secretariat is the largest and most influential in day-to-day administration. It formally approves and drafts all legislation, often based on proposals by the Central Courts. It is composed of the Princes and Grand Lords of the five principalities, five representatives from the Board of Directors of the Sovereign Company of the Dragon, the president of the Daolese Imperium, and the High Priest of the Hongyi Faith. The Board of War rules on defence, expansion, and war, and drafts classified military plans. It is composed of the Princes and Grand Lords of the five principalities, five representative from the Board of Directors of the Sovereign Company of the Dragon, and all four holders of the Daolese Imperium. The Imperial Privy Council shapes the foreign policy of Daolin and executes the orders of the emperor. The Imperial Privy Council coordinates the Central Courts and investigates corruption in the court system through the use of censors. Its composition is fluid, with members appointed freely by Imperial Prerogative. Its current composition mirrors that of the Central Secretariat.